An example of a known door handle device being mounted to a vehicle door (hereinafter referred to as a door handle device) is disclosed in JP2005-76367A (hereinafter referred to as Patent reference 1). According to Patent reference 1, the door handle device includes a structure for reducing a hit noise that is generated in response to the return of an inside door handle from a full stroke position (a door-opening position) where the inside handle is pulled to open the door to an initial position. Even when the inside handle pivots to the full stroke position, the hit noise may be reduced without deteriorating an appearance. The structure is configured by a dedicated buffer member that is applied to the inside handle.
According to the door handle device disclosed in Patent reference 1, the impact is generated because a handle-side stopper and a frame-side stopper directly contact with each other when the handle is pulled from an initial position to the full stroke position. In a case where the handle-side stopper and the frame-side stopper are made from a material having a strength and a stiffness in order for the handle not to be separated from a frame member, the impact further increases. As a result, a large hit noise may be generated or an operation feeling of the handle may be degraded. Specifically, in a case where the door handle device is provided with an outside handle including the frame member that is mounted to a metal-made door outer panel and the handle being positioned outside the door outer panel, the impact generated in response to the movement of the outside handle to the full stroke position or to the initial position travels from the outside handle to the metal-made door outer panel via the frame member. Accordingly, the hit noise may be amplified and resounded. Here, such a door handle device is desired to include a structure that prevents the impact from generating in response to the pulling of the outside handle from the initial position to the full stroke position. In addition, in this case, a low-cost, easy-to-use structure without increasing a number of components is desired to be used. However, the door handle device disclosed in Patent reference 1 includes the structure that reduces only the hit noise generated in response to the return of the inside handle from the full stroke position to the initial position. Further, because the door handle device disclosed in Patent reference 1 includes the dedicated buffer member, the structure of the door handle device disclosed in Patent reference 1 cannot be established with the low-cost, easy-to-use structure.
A need thus exists for a door handle device for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.